The website was conceived by the journalist and author Robin Shepherd in 2010. Since then Raheem Kassam and Dane Vallejo have worked with Robin to develop, maintain and edit for the site.

On 28 March 2013 10:53

Across our world in which 7.1 billion people dwell, 2.2 billion (or 31 percent) are Christians. They pray in mega-churches across America, in isolated villages in China, and in thousands of places in between.

More and more, they pray in fear. That’s because, as the Hudson Institute’s Paul Marshall, Lela Gilbert, and Nina Shea outline in detail in their new book, Persecuted, Christians are under “global assault.”
…
As remarkable as the global assault, however, is the relative silence by global leaders and the media. Though Christians are overwhelmingly the leaders of governments across the West, no national leader has seen fit to call much attention to the horror.
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Christian persecution occurs across Asia, Africa, and the Greater Middle East; it ranges from restrictions on worship to assassination for owning a Bible; and it occurs due to government sponsorship (e.g., in North Korea, Vietnam, China, Burma, Saudi Arabia, and Iran), social intolerance (in Nigeria and Iraq), or acts of terrorism from Muslim extremists (e.g., in Somalia and Afghanistan).

Though the world’s remaining Communist countries persecute the most Christians, the authors write, “It is in the Muslim world where persecution of Christians is now most widespread, intense, and ominously increasing.”

Geopolitics make a consistent stand for human rights by the US (or any other) government pretty difficult. All the same, it would at least be nice if the government of the US made some show trying to pressure allies and unfriendly countries to curb their human rights abuses. A prime example of both sides of this would be Sudan. One of the less-known accomplishments of the recent Bush administration was an agreement in Sudan that ended some three decades of religio-racial genocide by the Arab-Muslim government in the north against the black-Christians and -animists in the south and led to South Sudan becoming an independent nation. This ended decades of genocide and was accomplished through diplomacy, but was preceded by some three decades of near silence from the US State Department and US Presidential Administrations (Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton - both political parties!).

Where’s the UN in the events spoken of in the article above? Worse than useless! During the Sudan religio-racial genocide the UN was working to block aid to southern Sudan, including food, medicines and basic educational materials for schools! The large Muslim minority among UN members and their allies ensure that religious persecution of Christians will get short shrift at most in the UN.

As for US MSM, their disdain and hostility for Christians and their narrative of opposition to “Islamophobia” insure that what this article points out - as well as persecution of minority Muslim sects and other religious groups such as the Baha’i - will get as little coverage as they can get away with, and when coverage is forced by events, moral equivalency reportage will be used to make the victims look as much to blame as the persecutors and oppressors.

The difference between government torturing & killing Christians and government forcing Christians to fund their children being taught contrary to their beliefs and send them to those schools under penalty of law (the latter being the case of Christian parents unable to find or pay for a private school) is one of degree - a significant difference of degree, to be sure - not of kind, Trekky.

If facts are contrary to Christian belief, then it is the belief that needs to deal with it. It is not the school’s job to ignore scientific theories and data because they are contrary to some religious beliefs.

Or, to put it a different way, schools do not adjust teaching to match religion. If atomic theory was contrary to Christian teaching, we would no more stop studying atoms.

Also, I’d rather stop our country from leaping onto a slippery slope than try to pull it off.

Science is observable, repeatable and falsifiable. When has inter-species evolution been observed? Repeated experimentally? Tested with a test it might fail?

You’re missing the point. If the argument is that science classrooms shouldn’t teach something contrary to religious belief, then what if that something is a fact we know to be true beyond any reasonable doubt, like gravity or planetary motion. Is it then reasonable to ask teachers to keep our kids in the dark because the Christians in the room might be offended? If Christians believed the Earth was the center of the solar system, would it be reasonable to ask public school teachers to refrain from teaching otherwise? No, and the same goes for anything in a science classroom. If you have a problem with it, then fight it with science. Publish papers and do research.

Creationists try to discredit evolution, but they ignore the fact that they are still asking science teachers to keep religion in mind. That just isn’t feasible, no matter if it’s evolution or gravity. A science teacher’s job is to teach science, and the churches simply don’t come into that. But simply claiming that it is offensive, or it disagrees with your beliefs is not a valid concern to warrant ignoring science for the benefit of a few fringe Christians.

The class’s name is science, not science and some religion, if the science offends some people.

You’re missing the point. If the argument is that science classrooms shouldn’t teach something contrary to religious belief, then what if that something is a fact we know to be true beyond any reasonable doubt, like gravity or planetary motion. Is it then reasonable to ask teachers to keep our kids in the dark because the Christians in the room might be offended? If Christians believed the Earth was the center of the solar system, would it be reasonable to ask public school teachers to refrain from teaching otherwise? No, and the same goes for anything in a science classroom. If you have a problem with it, then fight it with science. Publish papers and do research.

Creationists try to discredit evolution, but they ignore the fact that they are still asking science teachers to keep religion in mind. That just isn’t feasible, no matter if it’s evolution or gravity. A science teacher’s job is to teach science, and the churches simply don’t come into that. But simply claiming that it is offensive, or it disagrees with your beliefs is not a valid concern to warrant ignoring science for the benefit of a few fringe Christians.

The class’s name is science, not science and some religion, if the science offends some people.

Well, I think there is still room for religion even in evolution, personally speaking. Evolution starts with the big bang? Well what or whom caused that? How were these things created? Could not God have been truely a remarkably powerful and omnipotent being with the foresight to create a single thing which would allow all life to exist clear of His interference but still bound to his power? Could not God simply be sitting back, allowing life to live and interfering only when the proverbial “clock” is broken. I am asking this because, as a teacher, I respect the importance of not guiding kids to a desired belief, but giving them ALL the possibilities, the evidence, the Socratic mind games, and exercising their minds to be not only knowledgeable but also free thinkers.

Well, I think there is still room for religion even in evolution, personally speaking. Evolution starts with the big bang? Well what or whom caused that? How were these things created? Could not God have been truely a remarkably powerful and omnipotent being with the foresight to create a single thing which would allow all life to exist clear of His interference but still bound to his power? Could not God simply be sitting back, allowing life to live and interfering only when the proverbial “clock” is broken. I am asking this because, as a teacher, I respect the importance of not guiding kids to a desired belief, but giving them ALL the possibilities, the evidence, the Socratic mind games, and exercising their minds to be not only knowledgeable but also free thinkers.

Your argument falls at the first hurdle, with a faulty premise…

Evolutionary theory does NOT start with the Big Bang, nor any other suggestion about the genesis of the universe, or even life itself. It concerns itself ONLY in an explanation for the diversity of life on this planet.

You’re missing the point.** If the argument is that science classrooms shouldn’t teach something contrary to religious belief,** then what if that something is a fact we know to be true beyond any reasonable doubt, like gravity or planetary motion. Is it then reasonable to ask teachers to keep our kids in the dark because the Christians in the room might be offended? If Christians believed the Earth was the center of the solar system, would it be reasonable to ask public school teachers to refrain from teaching otherwise? No, and the same goes for anything in a science classroom. If you have a problem with it, then fight it with science. Publish papers and do research.

Creationists try to discredit evolution, but they ignore the fact that they are still asking science teachers to keep religion in mind. That just isn’t feasible, no matter if it’s evolution or gravity. A science teacher’s job is to teach science, and the churches simply don’t come into that. But simply claiming that it is offensive, or it disagrees with your beliefs is not a valid concern to warrant ignoring science for the benefit of a few fringe Christians.

The class’s name is science, not science and some religion, if the science offends some people.

And that means that Christians can request science teachers ignore certain things when it suits them? If fringe Christianity is true and the evolution is BS, then prove it, but just saying it and having the justification be that your religion disagrees is not going to make any science teacher anywhere give a hoot. And in any case, remember that these are people claiming that evolution disagrees with Christianity, not God himself, and they’ve been wrong before, and the vast majority disagree now as well.

Quite plainly, even if Christianity is the one true religion, being Christian does not in any way mean you’re right in your opinions or your interpretation of scripture, and it definitely doesn’t mean you have any authority to be silencing science teachers.

RET423:

Christian persecution is ignored because Liberals/Communist’s/Atheist’s support it as a means of eradicating an enemy that they cannot defeat intellectually.

Pretty sure it’s Muslims doing it. And I don’t think they give a hoot about debating with them “intellectually.” And you should give to any number of the charities that help these Christians, like Open Doors, as I mentioned earlier.

What the point of the Thread title and base info was the martyrdom of Christians around the world, By a variety of authorities both religious and political. It has nothing to do with the ‘gay’ agenda, science verses religion agenda, it has everything to do with repressive regimes, who seek a godless society where they can set the moral standard, or a fast growing Muslim presence throughout the world pushing their Jihad.
now let it be understood, Christian martyrdom is a centuries old action as the Christian Principles showed up the corrupt national leaderships. Since the Sanhedrin during the time of Jesus attempted to eliminate jesus believing that this would end this little local phenomenon but as this was God’s Plan to begin with, it failed in it’s objective, and as this movement grew after the Ascension of Jesus, the Sanhedrin moved again with Saul at the helm to stamp out this thing called “The Way”. The spread of the new believers with the overseeing of a new special convert [ the Saul who persecuted these very people, being converted by God and Jesus on the road to Damascus] and the remaining Apostles developed the newly named movement to Christianity. The Jewish Leadership being Zealous for the ‘purity’ of Judaism tried all the more to stamp out this growing “religion” as well as outside groups tried to infiltrate the movement with other views and beliefs trying to meld tenets .
So, there is nothing new but with the rise of Islam and the act of Jihad, Christians need to be aware wherever they are, to the dangers of martyrdom, and the real possibility they will be caught up in the culling. BUT it also is imperative that the Christians everywhere uphold and fully support, all the Brothers and Sisters who are under the shadow of death.

And that means that Christians can request science teachers ignore certain things when it suits them? If fringe Christianity is true and the evolution is BS, then prove it, but just saying it and having the justification be that your religion disagrees is not going to make any science teacher anywhere give a hoot. And in any case, remember that these are people claiming that evolution disagrees with Christianity, not God himself, and they’ve been wrong before, and the vast majority disagree now as well.

Quite plainly, even if Christianity is the one true religion, being Christian does not in any way mean you’re right in your opinions or your interpretation of scripture, and it definitely doesn’t mean you have any authority to be silencing science teachers.

Pretty sure it’s Muslims doing it. And I don’t think they give a hoot about debating with them “intellectually.” And you should give to any number of the charities that help these Christians, like Open Doors, as I mentioned earlier.

Just go ahead and put it in your signature, bro.

Pretty sure it’s western secularist doing it, too.

biggles53:

Errrr…ALL science is questionable…that’s kinda the whole point of it…!